Contemporary art is around us more than we may think. It exists in our communities, on social media, in the news, in magazines, and even on billboards. It serves multiple purposes driven by the artist’s intent, which can become interpretive or a point to take action. Regardless, it’s a vehicle for creativity, authenticity, truth, awareness, and advocacy.
I am currently reading Give Me the Now (David Zwirner Books, 2021), an autobiography of art dealer Rudolf Zwirner, who championed contemporary artists of his time in post-World War II Europe. Zwirner shaped today’s art market and co-created the first art fair in 1967. As a former gallery director, I’ve always been interested in how artists, galleries, museums, and collectors navigate the art world. Contemporary art can be intimidating, questionable, or simply weird. What is it that draws us to it?
Embracing the world of contemporary art can open the door to curiosity, opportunity, and possibility—curiosity influenced by the question, “What if?”; opportunity motivated by the desire to seek creative ways to integrate life with art and art with life; and possibility driven by the investigative nature of being an artist.
What I enjoy about contemporary art is that it is “now.” It’s happening right now as you read this issue. I often wonder what my contemporaries are thinking, researching, or creating in their studios. How are they communicating their art to the masses? In what ways is it impacting others?
Let’s Think about That…Impact.
As art educators, we have our art students’ best interests at heart. We introduce them to artists living or dead from all walks of life. We show students the various ways to think, act, and create like an artist. Through gallery websites, social media platforms, online exhibitions, Zoom sessions, in-person teaching, or even our own artwork, we enrich their lives not knowing how they’ll be inspired. To me, this is the exciting part.
The Prevalence of Contemporary Art
Contemporary art is around us more than we may think. It exists in our communities, on social media, in the news, in magazines, and even on billboards. It serves multiple purposes driven by the artist’s intent, which can become interpretive or a point to take action. Regardless, it’s a vehicle for creativity, authenticity, truth, awareness, and advocacy.
When we incorporate a genre such as this, it can be daunting. How much do we want to share? Do we use it as an opportunity to present essential questions to open the minds of our art students? Do we walk them step-by-step into the creative process or let them interpret what they learned into their own studio practice? What I enjoy about all of this is that it motivates me to think about my teaching practice and makes me think about what type of impact this exposure can have on the lives of my art students. It sparks interesting questions and conversations. An impact that can be used as a catalyst for change, to develop a new lens, or to welcome something innovative that can stimulate and enhance personal and artistic growth. Not to mention, their attitudes towards art.
With so many resources at our fingertips, we can design a curriculum that can empower our art students to use their artistic voices to create a better world for generations to come.
Frank Juarez is the head of the art department at Sheboygan North High School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the publisher of Artdose magazine, and a contributing editor of SchoolArts magazine. FJuarez@SASD.net
Art teachers develop lessons inspired by contemporary artists and artworks. High-school students interpret contemporary issues through symbolic game cards, middle-school students research common themes found in contemporary art and create personalized landscapes, elementary students illustrate digital compositions inspired by the optical works of Jen Stark, young students use ceramic bowls as a canvas for experimenting with colorful inks, and more.
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